In the curtain of rain, aside from the police, Qin Zan and Shen Lingge’s people stood on two sides confronting each other.
Everyone was almost soaked through, Qin Zan holding Wen Xian refusing to let go, Shen Lingge blocking Qin Zan not allowing him to leave, for a time falling into a stalemate.
But just at this moment, Wen Xian in Qin Zan’s arms unconsciously called Shen Lingge’s name, her voice in the rain curtain light and inaudible, but these two people both heard it.
She kept calling his name: “Shen Lingge, Shen Lingge, Shen Lingge…”
Shen Lingge could no longer endure it, he stepped forward forcefully snatching Wen Xian from Qin Zan’s arms.
This time Qin Zan did not speak again nor did he stop him. He only silently looked at that person unconscious, after a long time he hoarsely said: “Such a thing, if there is a next time, I definitely will snatch her away from your side.”
Shen Lingge did not care about Qin Zan, he lowered his head and kissed Wen Xian’s ice-cold forehead, continuously responding to her: “I’m here. Xian Xian, I’m here.”
Shen Lingge holding Wen Xian turned around and walked toward the car, Xiao Song hurriedly contacted and followed up. On the plane Shen Lingge had already made all preparations, the hospital had long been contacted, after getting in the car the driver directly drove to the hospital.
Inside the car, Xiao Song turned his head and glanced at Shen Lingge in the back seat.
He with reddened eye rims held a clean towel wiping Wen Xian’s face, but when he saw those wounds on her face he froze, after a while he once again held her.
The usually noble and indifferent man at this time had a face full of panic, as if only looking at the person in his arms he could continue living.
Xiao Song could not bear to keep looking, silently turned his head back.
Shen Lingge did not dare to hold Wen Xian tightly, he was afraid of hurting her. He pressed the button beside him, the partition slowly lowering, Wen Xian’s whole person was soaked through, he could not let her go to the hospital wearing wet clothes like this.
Wen Xian’s body was covered in bruises, some places with skin scraped, some places already bluish purple. It looked like there was almost no intact skin, only her hand still tightly holding Yu.
Shen Lingge tried to take Yu from her hand, but she held it deathly tight, in the end Yu itself slid out from her hand.
Yu flew to Wen Xian’s side, anxiously circling.
After changing Wen Xian’s clothes Shen Lingge no longer dared to hold her again, he himself was also soaked through. He only lightly held her hand full of knife scars, black pupils not moving as he stared at her.
Until arriving at the hospital he still had not recovered, until Xiao Song reminded worriedly: “Sir, the nurses are all waiting for you.”
Only then did Shen Lingge as if waking from a dream let go of Wen Xian’s hand, allowing the nurses and doctors to carry Wen Xian onto the stretcher, but he himself as if losing strength slumped in the seat.
The heart he had been holding up since last night, also at this moment let go.
To Shen Lingge, as long as Wen Xian was alive.
He only wanted her alive.
…
Inside the hospital room.
Shen Lingge changed into clean clothes sitting in front of the hospital bed, Wen Xian at this time still had not woken. When she fell down she protected her head, her body did not have serious injuries, only some scrapes and mild concussion.
The wound on her hand was cut out using a knife, according to the police the rope in that warehouse was cut by Wen Xian herself, so the wound on her hand should have been caused at that time.
But they did not find that knife in the warehouse, someone speculated the knife perhaps was originally in the warehouse, but the warehouse door was locked with a chain, no one knew how Wen Xian escaped.
That skylight although could be climbed out from, but the skylight was very high, there was nothing in the warehouse that could let Wen Xian reach the skylight.
Exactly how Wen Xian got out, only she herself knew.
Near noon Duoduo pushed open the hospital room door carrying lunch, Shen Lingge from boarding the plane until now had not even drunk a mouthful of water, now also like a wooden person sat blankly in front of Wen Xian’s hospital bed.
Duoduo pursed her lips, spoke in a low voice: “Young Master, please eat a bit of something. Miss… Miss wakes up, you still need to take care of her.”
Shen Lingge did not respond, only remained silent.
Seeing him like this, Duoduo no longer tried to persuade, only placed the thermal box on the bedside table then softly opened the door and left.
Wen Xian woke up at one o’clock in the afternoon. The first feeling when she woke up was pain. She unhappily tightened her small face, there was no place on her whole body that did not hurt.
And Shen Lingge, the moment her eyes opened, had already gotten up and approached her.
Wen Xian blinked her eyes and met Shen Lingge’s gaze, Shen Lingge seemed to hurt even more than her, his face pale, black hair still wet, only his black pupils tightly staring at her, not speaking.
Wen Xian with effort raised her hand and touched his face, she spoke in a low voice: “Shen Lingge, I’m fine.”
Shen Lingge looked at her still bright eyes, his lips slightly opened as if wanting to say something, but in the end he only softly asked: “Xian Xian, does it hurt?”
Wen Xian looked at him and answered: “It doesn’t hurt, it’s just…”
Shen Lingge’s black pupils slightly sank: “What is it?”
Wen Xian stretched out her hand toward him, Shen Lingge hurriedly half-held her up, he was just about to say something when Wen Xian suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the lips, she softly said: “Shen Lingge, I’m fine now, don’t be afraid.”
Shen Lingge’s action paused, then he directly pulled her into his arms.
He did not dare look at her clear eyes, only stroked her black hair with a hoarse voice: “Xian Xian, I didn’t manage to protect you. I seem to always be apologizing to you, whether it’s making you angry, or today’s matter.”
He couldn’t help but hold Wen Xian tighter, spoke in a low voice: “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
Wen Xian rubbed against him: “It’s not your fault. And I already ran out, it was when I was running myself that I didn’t watch my step and fell down, it was my carelessness. And now I’m all fine.”
Speaking up to the latter half Wen Xian slightly hesitated, she raised her face to look at Shen Lingge, using a negotiating tone said: “Shen Lingge, can I look in the mirror?”
Shen Lingge: “……”
He had just frowned when he saw the little girl already pouting in grievance. After a moment, Shen Lingge picked up the phone beside him, after opening the camera then handed the phone to her.
Wen Xian quickly took the phone and looked at her own face.
With just one glance her eyes immediately filled with tears, her forehead was swollen, her cheeks full of red scratches, her chin also bruised in one spot, her cheeks looked swollen too.
In short, looking like just one word: ugly.
Wen Xian pursed her lips about to cry, Shen Lingge immediately raised his hand and cupped her face, he helplessly sighed: “Xian Xian, right now I really can’t bear to see you cry.”
Shen Lingge didn’t know what he would do if he saw her cry at this moment.
Wen Xian held it in, forced her tears back. She hid under the blanket no longer looking at Shen Lingge, a muffled voice coming from under the blanket: “You’re not allowed to look at me, I don’t look good.”
Shen Lingge leaned over and kissed the part of her head exposed outside, he spoke in a low voice: “Good-looking, Xian Xian no matter what appearance is good-looking.”
Shen Lingge picked up the thermal box beside him, took out the porridge inside, he lightly patted Wen Xian’s blanket: “Xian Xian, get up and eat first, eat then sleep again.”
Wen Xian sulked for a while but still crawled out from the blanket, she asked as if to confirm: “Am I really good-looking?”
Shen Lingge’s black pupils stared at her without moving, he answered without hesitation: “Good-looking.”
Wen Xian lightly snorted: “Not even a thinking process, you’re lying again!”
Shen Lingge: “… Sit up and eat properly.”
It was Shen Lingge’s first time feeding someone a meal. He was deeply afraid the porridge would burn Wen Xian, so he blew on it for a long time before bringing it to her lips. The little girl opened her mouth and ate the porridge, then blinked her eyes waiting for him.
One bowl of porridge took the two of them a full ten minutes to finish. After drinking the bowl of porridge, Wen Xian pressed her lips together and shook her head:
“Full now.”
Shen Lingge coaxed her into drinking another half bowl before letting her play on her own. He did not mind that the porridge was what she had left over. After she finished, he drank all the remaining porridge left in the thermal box as well.
During that time, Wen Xian was fiddling with his phone, playing.
It was only after Shen Lingge finished eating that Wen Xian carefully asked: “Shen Lingge, did you really not sleep at all since coming back?”
Shen Lingge had just wanted to say something when the knocking sound interrupted him. From outside came assistant Xiao Song’s voice: “Sir, Mister Qin has come to look for Miss Wen. He says he wants to see her once.”
Shen Lingge looked toward Wen Xian, not hiding anything: “It was Qin Zan who found you first.”
Wen Xian froze: “Brother Qin?”
Shen Lingge lowered his eyelids, softly asked: “Do you want to see him?”
Wen Xian hesitated for a moment, she also glanced at Shen Lingge’s expression, but before she could answer, Shen Lingge had already gotten up and walked out. He turned his head slightly: “I’ll let him in.”
Not long after Shen Lingge left, Qin Zan walked into the hospital room. He looked at Wen Xian carefully once, then walked to the bedside and sat down.
Wen Xian lifted her eyes and glanced at him, then lightly spoke to Qin Zan to express thanks: “Brother Qin, I heard from Shen Lingge it was you who found me. Thank you.”
Qin Zan looked at her and asked: “Still hurting?”
Wen Xian shook her head: “Doesn’t hurt.”
Qin Zan had only come to see her. After the two spoke softly for a little while, Qin Zan prepared to leave. He stood up, looking at Wen Xian: “Rest well these days, obediently stay at home, wait until things outside are handled before going out again.”
Wen Xian still didn’t know the cause and effect of her being kidnapped, but she still subconsciously nodded.
When Qin Zan walked to the door, he stopped again, his hand placed on the doorknob also paused slightly. But he did not turn his head, he only spoke in a low voice: “Xian Xian, thank you for the kapok flower you sent me that year.”
[Kapok flower: a type of flower symbolizing resilience and remembrance in Chinese culture.]
After speaking, Qin Zan opened the door and walked out.
As soon as he stepped out the door, he met Shen Lingge’s icy gaze.
Qin Zan suddenly gave a laugh: “The things I said to you before, you’d better remember. Mingcheng is your territory, but here you can’t do anything to me.”
Qin Zan’s thin lips pressed tightly together, he lowered his voice warning: “If she gets into trouble again, I won’t let you off anymore. This time handing over her safety to you was me being stupid.”
Qin Zan turned and left: “There won’t be a next time.”
Xiao Song at the side did not even dare breathe, but Shen Lingge had no response.
Because what Qin Zan said was correct. It was him who failed to protect Wen Xian. If Wen Xian hadn’t had Yu with her, no one knew what would have happened.
The police said those people originally wanted to bring Wen Xian to the edge of the cliff and push her into the sea, but she ran away.
If Qin Zan hadn’t immediately controlled Xu Chuwei’s movements, Wen Xian at this moment likely would already have met a terrible fate.
And all of this, was his oversight.
Shen Lingge stood outside for quite a while before he reopened the door and entered the hospital room again. He did not let any trace of his repressed emotions leak out. Inside the hospital room, the little girl, seeing him, immediately waved her hand at him.
She smiled toward him: “Gege, you come over. Get on the bed and sleep with me for a while.”
Her eyes were still clear and flawless, her smile still gentle and bright.
Right now she was still by his side, but Shen Lingge nevertheless felt that he was a sinner.